spruce and balsam flourish here, but spruce
makes better pulp.
"When we cut the spruce, balsam tends to
take over; it grows faster and crowds out the
young spruce. Here's where the deer come in.
They like young balsam, but not spruce.
Result: Our forests remain mostly spruce."
We fished for salmon and for trout, once in
a lake dimpled by great rainbows rising for a
hatch of flies, and once at the mouth of a river
rushing into the gulf. Everyone filled his creel.
Winging south in the sunny weather that
followed the storm, we spent four days lei
surely jogging seaward along the Gaspe Pe
ninsula. French pioneers first settled this
lovely countryside in the times of Cartier and
Champlain; every coastal village-some of
them nearly three centuries old-has its white
Catholic church with prominent spire.
Near Gaspe village's present site Cartier
set up a cross, gathered the local Indians
around, and claimed all Canada for France.
"Canada, therefore, was born here, which
makes Gaspe the most important place in the
nation," firmly stated Town Manager Ray
mond Bernard.
"The rest of the country
doesn't agree with us, however. They won't
even give us the replica of Cartier's ship
Grande Hermine, built for Expo 67. Frankly,
I think it is our duty to steal it."
KODACHROME
BY MELVILLEBELLGROSVENOR(n NATIONALGEOGRAPHICSOCIETY